Improvements to Utica's north-south arterial to cost $65 million

It will cost an estimated $65 million to improve Utica's north-south arterial. The annual state Department of Transportation budget for Region 2, which includes six counties and Utica, is $60 million.

REBECCA WOLF

It will cost an estimated $65 million to improve Utica's north-south arterial. The annual state Department of Transportation budget for Region 2, which includes six counties and Utica, is $60 million.

Department of Transportation Region 2 Director Mike Shamma used those facts to highlight the transportation needs of the area at a meeting with Congressmen Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, Jerrold Nadler, D-Manhattan, and other state officials Monday morning.

Arcuri and Nadler are both members of the house Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which is working on the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill scheduled for a vote next year. The bill is expected to include about $244 billion for transportation needs across the nation.

About 100 people from across the state were on hand for the meeting at Utica City Hall to give the two congressmen an idea of the priorities for the area.

Shamma said that bridges along the arterial have reached the end of their planned life span and will need to be replaced. He added that the connections from the arterial to the west and east were not completed and need to be to ensure economic development.
“Route 12 is not high volume, but it's high value to this area,” he said.

Other concerns Shamma raised:

The condition of municipalities. When the transportation department replaces roadways, it comes across water and sewer lines that over a 100 years old and need to be replaced before new roadway can be laid. “Villages cannot afford to replace these so projects are on hold,” he said.
The rising costs of materials is leading to projects being reduced in size, some from four lanes to two lanes.
“If we don't fix it now, we will have to fix it tomorrow at a much higher expense,” Shamma said.